Sewing machine



Nov. 13 1923.

w. F. LAUTENSCHLAGER SEWING MACHINE- Filed Jul-y 26, 1919 4 Shets-Sheet 1 w. F. LAUTENSCHL AGER SEWING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1919 Nov. 13,1923.

Nov. 13

W. F. LAUTENSCHLAGER SEWING MACHINE Filed July 26, 1919 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 W. F. LAUTENSCHLAGER SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 Filed July 26, 19l9 Patented Nov. 13, 1923.

amas WILLIAM F. LAU'I'ENSCHLAGER, F CINCINNATI, OHIO.

SEWING MACHINE.

Application filed July 26, 1919. Serial No. 313,602.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVIL IAM F. LAU- TENSCHLAGER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

In sewing machines as ordinarily constructed, in which a loop-taker operates to take the loop at the side of the line of feed, especially in so-called lock-stitch sewing machines, the needle is so placed that its eye continuously extends crosswise of the line of feed of the material, that is, cross wise of the scam, the loop of the thread pass,- ing through the material while arranged crosswise of the seam, so as to develop a loop at the side of the seam, below the material, which loop is arranged to be taken a loop-taker at the side of the seam toward which the loop has been developed. The result of this usual arrangement of the devices is a seam, the surface stretches of which extend slantingly with relation to the line of the seam. I have found it very desirable. for certain classes of Work, to employ a seam in which the exposed stretches or sections of thread are arranged lengthwise of the seam, so as to make a line coincident with the line of the seam.

It is the object of my invention to lay the exposed stretches 01' section of the seam .in the line of the seam and to develop the loops at the side of the seam further, to provide means for accomplishing such object; further. to provide means whereby the eye of the needle, which is at the penetrating end of the needle, is arranged lengthwise of the seam when penetrating the material, and is turned at the reverse face of the material for extending crosswise of the line of the scam in order to present the loop developed in proper direction to a loop-taker at the side of the needle; further, to provide means whereby to impart a spiral movement to the needle further, to provide means for re ciprocating the needle-bar lengthwise and for locating the needle-bar so as to present the thread eye of the needle in diflerent directions at different points in the path of the needle-eye; further, to provide means in connection with the loop-taker for reciprocating and rotating the needle-bar in order to present the eye of the needle in a different direction to the loop-taker than to the line of the seam when the threadseye is passing through the material; and, further, to provide adjusting means whereby to adjust the operative relation between the threadeye of the needle and the looptaker.

The, invention will be further readily understood from the following description and claims, and from the drawings, in which latter: i

Fig. 1 is a. front elevation of a sewing machine embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the headend of the same, partly broken away.

F 3 is a head-end elevation of the same, partly broken away.

Fig. at is a similar View with the cover of the head removed, and with the lower part of the mechanism taken in cross-section on the line l4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail in cross-section on the line 55 of Fig. 4;,

Fig. 6 is a head-end elevation of the same.

Fig. 7 is. a plan view of the mechanism in the bed of the machine, the table ofthe machine being partly broken away for exposure of the parts, I

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 4 with the needle-bar shown in' difierent relation.

F ig. 9 is a perspective view of the guide for the needle-bar.

Fig. 10 is a similar view of a modifica tion of the same.

F ig. 11 is a plan view showingthe face side of the old-style diagonal stitching at 20. i

Fig. 12 is a plan view of stitching made under my invention.

Fig. 13 is, a head-end elevation of portions of the mechanism, partly broken away, and partly in cross-section in the axial plane of the needle, showing the 3 threadeye of the needle extending in the line of the seam, andin the plane of the material.

Fig. 14 is a Similar view, the thread-eye of the, needle extending in the line of the seam, and having just penetrated the material.

Fig. is a similar view, showing the needle at the beginning of its up-stroke, with its eye extending crosswise of the line of the seam and with the loop just developed and the entering end of the looptaker being received into the loop.

Fig. 16 is a similar view showing the needle at the beginning of its retractive rotation, with its thread-eye extending slantingly crosswise of the line of the seam and with the loop further developed and the loop penetrating part of the loop-taker in position of further advancement.

Fig. 17 is a similar view, showing the completed stitch with the thread-eye of the needle eXtendingin the line of the seam.

Fig. 18 is a detail of the needle-securing means, taken in the axial plane of the needle; and,

Fig. 19 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 1919 of Fig. 18.

The frame of the machine is represented at '21, and is shown as comprising a table 22, apedestal 23, and an arm 24: extending above the table. the arm having the head 25 at its outer end. 1.1 drive-shaft 29 is journaled in suitable hearings in the frame, is suitably driven, and is arranged to rotate a shaft under the table of the machine by a suitable means, as by connecting links 31, 32, having bearings about cranks 33, 3-1, of the shaft 29 and cranks 35, 36, of the shaft 30.

A. crank-disk 41 is fixed to the shaft 29 and is provided with acrank-pin 412, about which a connecting link 13 has a bearing 4 1 at one end thereof, the other end of the connecting link having a bearing 15 about the journal of a suitable reciprocating bearingpiece 46, suitably guided, as by having a roller 47 thereon received in a guide-slot 48 in the head and having bearing 419 about a needle-bar 51. (See Figs. 1, 5 and The needle-bar 51 is secured in lengthwise relation to the bearing 49, as by means of clamps 52, 53, clamped at the respective ends of the bearing 19 about the needle-bar, for instance, by means of clamp-screws 5-:i. These clamps are arranged to be adjustably positioned and clamped lengthwise of the needle-bar for adjusting the position in the length of the needle-bar at which the bearing 49 is located, thereby adjusting the position of thepath of lengthwise reciprocation of the needle-bar, for adjustment of the same for different lengths and positions of needles. V

The needle-bar is provided with a suitable socket 57, in which a needle 58 is received and secured by means, for instance, of a set-screw 59. The relation between the needle and the needle-bar may be fixed, as by providing the shank of the needle with a flattened side 60 received against the flattened wall 61 of the needle-socket in the needle-bar, although positioning meansof this character may be omitted. (See Figs. 18, 19).

The machine is exemplified as provided with a usual take-up lever 65 for the thread, operated in desirable or usual manner, and is also provided with usual thread guiding and tensioning means of desirable or suitable construction and function.

Suitable presser means are also provided,

exemplified as apresscr-roll 67, rota-table on The material is shown as super- 7 78, extending upwardly from a rocker-rod V 79, rockable on trunnion-screws 80, adjustable in the frame, and further pivoted by means of a pivot 81 to an arm 82, of a rocker-rod 83, rockable on trunnion-screws 84: adjustable in the frame, the pivot 81 moving in a suitable slot 85 in the lever. (See Fig. 7.) The rocker-rod 83 has a forked-arm 86 secured thereto, the fork of the arm being received about a cam 87 fixed to the shaft 30, for rocking the forked-arm up and down and thereby moving the feedbar up and down. Forward and back move ment is imparted to the feed-bar by its connection with the rocker-rod 79, the latter having an upwardly extending arm 90, with which a link 91 is articulated at 92, the link 91 beingreciprocated lengthwise in suitable manner. 7

The effect of the arrangement of parts is to raise the feed-bar into contact with the lower face of the material, to move the feedbar in a right line away from the operator to feed the material, to cause the "feed-bar to descend at the end of the feeding movement, and to return the feed-bar to initial position by a movement toward the operator. The feed-baroperatcs in a slot 93 in. a. throat-plate 9 1. Suitable means are also provided for adjusting the lengths of steps of feed in usual manner. The feeding movement of the feed-bar is lengthwise of the feed-bar, as indicated by the arrow a in Fig. 7 V

The needle has a thread-eye 101 at its penetrating end, and isprovided with a long groove 102 above one end of the threadeye, this groove being arranged to receive the supply-limb 103 of the thread. (See -Figs. 13-1 7). The needle is also provided with a short groove 104k at the other endof its thread-eye, this latter groove being arranged to receive the seam-limb 105 of the thread, the big ht 106. of the loop formed about the needle, when the latter is in down position, being in the thread-eye. The needle passes through a. hole 107' in the throatplate.

The supply-limb is received through a hole 110 in the needle-bar, this hole being located above and in the vertical plane in which the grooves of the needle are located when the needle is properly attached to the needle-bar. (See Figs. 1319). This hole is shown in a. lug 111 of the needlebar, above which there is a recess 112 in the needle-bar. A thread-pressing finger 11 i extends crosswise of the needle-bar below the hole- 110 and is arranged to press upon the thread for pressing the thread between it and a t-hreml-bearing face 115 on the needle-bar. This thread-pressing linger is shown on a spring-plate 116 fixed to the needle-bar by means of a clamp-screw 1.17.

The object of this thread-pressing linger is to exert tension upon the supply-stretch of the thread at a. point between the guiding hole located in the plane of the grooves of the needle and the thread-eye of the needle, in order to aid in the positioning of said supply-limb lengthwise with relation to the material in the passage of the needle into. and especially out of the material.

Means are provided for rotating the needle-bar, exemplified as a. rotative reciprocation of the needle-bar. These means are exem ililied as consisting of a guide, shown as a tube 121. in which the needlcbar has movement. The tube is provided with a guide, shown as a slot 122, which includes a spiral portion 123. The guide preferably has an upper end portion 121 and a lower end portion 125, which are parallel with the axis of the needle-bar. These parallel portions or straight portions of the guide or slot are located at differentangular positions about the necdleba-r. The. needle-bar provided with a coa-cting member which coacts with the walls of the slot, exemplified as a screw 127 tlnreade-d into the needle-bar and having a. roller 128 tl'iereabout.

The tube is preferablysecured with relation to the frame of the machine, and is exemplified as provided with a threaded portion 131, which is: adjustable in a thread ed hearing 132 in the head of the machine. The tube may be provided with a polygonal head 18 by means oi": which it may be turned in its bearing. A janrnut 134-. is received about the. threaded portion, and after adjustment of the tube in its hearing, is arranged to be clamped against the l; aring, so as to clamp the tube in adjusted nositi ired, a guise having one wall may 1 s1. 7 L 11 1 i, emplo ed in lace 0. tie two-wa er a spring acting rotatively on the needle-bar may urge the coacting part on the needlebar against the one-walled guide.

In the sewing machine exemplified, the loop-taker is at the right of the path of the needle. My invention is adapted for sewing machines having a loop-taker at the left of the path of the needle, by employing a. spiral guide in which the spirality is opposite to the spirality shown in the principal figures of the drawing. Thus, referring to Fig. 10, the tube 141 is provided with a groove 142 having a spiral portion 1 13 and straight end portions 144, 145, the spiral portion 143 being reversed to the spiral portion 123.

Suitable loop-taking means are provided. These may be in the form of an ordinary reciprocating loop-taker or shuttle, but I prefer to employ a rotary loop-taker 151 comprising a loop-penetrating hook 152, and a bobbin-case 153, in whicha suitable threadbobbin 154; may be received, for supplying av thread 155, which may represent the locking thread of the stitch. (See Figs. 7, and 1317). The present exemplificati'on is of a locking stitch sewing machine, although it is obvious that my invention may be employed in other relations and with. other characters of sewing machines than that herein shown and described.

The loop-taker is arranged to be fixed to a shaft 158 journaled in a bearing 159 of the frame and having av bevel-pinion 160 secured thereto. A bevel-pinion 161, secured to a shaft 162 by a setscrew 163, meshes with the bevel-pinion 160.; The shaft 162 is journaled in bearings 164 of the frame, and has a pinion 165 fixed thereto. A gear 166 on the shaft 30 meshes with the pinion 165 for driving the same. The meshing relation between the pinions 160 and 161 may be ad justed by loosening the set-screw 163, placing pinion 161 in difierent meshing relation with the pinion 160, and again securing the pinion 161 to said shaft, by tightening said screw.

In operation, the needle-ha r is reciprocated lengthwise by means of the crank-disk 11 and connecting-link 4:3 articulated with the bearing 19. During such lengthwise reciprocation, the coacting member on the needlebar follows the guide 122, causing rotative reciprocation of the needle-bar in one direction on the down-stroke of the neede-bar, and in opposite direction on the tip-stroke of the needle-bar, the coacting member being, in the present instance, guided by the walls of the slot 122. Vhen the needle-bar is positioned so that the thread-eye of the needle is above the plane of the material, the thread-eye of the needle preferably extends lengthwise of the line of the feed. This is the relation of the thread-eye while laying the mater a].

the exposed stretch of the switch. Figs. 13 and 1 1).

The relation of the thread-eye, while it is in the material, is shown in Fig. 13, the thread-eye extending lengthwise of the seam 167 or line of feed when the thread-eye is in hen the thread-eye has just passed through the material it still preferably extends in the line of the stitch or line of the seam, as exemplified in Fig. 1 1. \Vhen so arranged, the coacting member on the needle-bar is just about to enter the spiral portion 123 of the guiding roove. The needle now continues its penetration through the material, its shortgroovo preferably penetrating the material prior to the begin-- ning of a turning oft-he needle, induced in the present exemplification by coaction of the coaeting member with the spiral guide.

During the further penetration of the material by the needle, after the passage of the short groove through the material, the seamlimb 105 of the loop is at the outside of the cylinder of the needle, being pressed by the outer peripheral wall. of the needle into the material. The friction of the material upon this seam-limb holds the seanrend of said seam-limb in definite relation to the previ ously formed part of the seam, for laying the exposed section of the stitch being formed in the line of the direction of feed or direction of the seam, and maintaining such laid relation during rotation of'the needle.

The supply-limb is, however. located in the long groove of the needle and turns with the needle. The turning of the needle arranges the thread-eye thereof crosswise of the line of feed, so that, when the needle has penetrated the material to its limit of movement, the thread-eye will bearanged so as to extend at substantial right angles to the line of the seam or line of the feed.

The loop-taker is arranged at the side of the vertical plane in which the line of feed extends, the loop-penetrating part of hook 1 having a path of rotation close to the side oi the needle. for penetrating the loop developed at the bight-end of the seam limb when lengthwise retractive movement of the needle begins, as exemplified in Fig. 15. The loop-taker is preferably provided with a usual needle-guard 168, exemplified as a pro trusion thereon. The needle is arranged to impinge this protrusion when in down position, so as to prevent bending or breaking of the needle. The crosswise relation of the thread-eye of the needle is preferably maintained during-movement in the lower part of its reciprocating path, and is exemplified as controlled by the lower straight end 125' of the slot 122.

(See

move with the needle. The seam-end of the seam-limb of the thread is, however, held in down position by the friction of the material against it. The thread-eye rising, causes development of the loop for the loop taker, the loop being projected crosswise of the. line of feeding movement and into the path of the rotary loop-penetrating part or hook. I

As soon, therefore, a the loopfor the loop-taker begins to develop, the loop-penetrating part enters the loop, as exemplified in Fig. 15. Preferably when this penetration has been had, the coacting member on the needle-bar re-enters the spiral portion of the guide for causing beginning ofthe reverse rotary movement of the needle-bar for returning the needle-bar to its initial relation. The development of the loop continues for supplying a greater stretch of loose thread in order to permit further penetration of the loop, as indicated in Fig. 16.

The loop is then finished, in usual manner, by rotation of the loop-taker, for placing the exposed thread about the bobbin thread, in the present excmplilication, for developing the lock or knot of the stitch. Then the loop has been fully developed. the take-up begins to act to tighten the thread. The needle also continues its ascent, and, when in fully raised position, the thread is stretched between the thread-pressing finger 11-1 and the stitch just formed, the thread passing through the eye of the needle, which, in the present exemplification has again been arranged lengthwise of the feed by the re-entrance of the roller on the needle-bar into the upper portion of the guiding slot. (See Fig. 17).

The thread-pressing finger 114 aids in maintaining the relation of the supplylimb of the thread to the long groove in the needle and aids in causing coincident movement of the supply-limb with the lengthwise movement of the needle. It is especially useful when sewing oily goods, or goods which have been previously connected by a rubber cement, or when employing an oiled thread.

The point in the periphery of the feedwheel where it contacts the material is preferably closely adjacent to the path of the needle so as to act as a guide for the needle when entering the material.

It is desirable that the rotative reciprocation of the needle be adjusted with relation to its lengthwise reciprocation and to the movement of the loop-penetrating part, so that. the development of the loop may be adjusted with relation to the movement or rotation of the loop-taker.

For accomplishing this, the guide for the rotative movement of the needle-bar, that is to say, the tube 121 is, in the present inllll) stance, adjustable lengthwise in its bearing 132, for instance, by rotating the tube in its bearing, whereby the lengthwise relation of the tube to its bearing and to the needlebar, as well as the loop-taker, is affected. The thread between the tube and its bearing is preferably a fine low-pitch thread, so that delicate lengthwise adjustments may be made. The rotative adjustment of the guide also adjusts'the angular positions of the thread-eye of the needle at its limits of movement.

If desired, the needle-bar may also be adjusted lengthwise with relation to the tube, as by unclamping the clamp-rings 52, 53, by loosening the clamp-screws 54, moving the needle-bar lengthwise in the bearing 49, and again clamping said clamp-rings in place about the needle-bar.

My invention provides simple and convenient means whereby the exposed stretches of the seam may be laid in the true line of the seam or line of the feed, and laterally extending loops may be developed for the reception of a loop-taker operating at the side of the line of feed. It is also readily adapted for insertion in existing machines not now provided with my inven tion.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to se-' cure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a sewing machine, the combination of a reciprocating needle-bar above the plane of the material, feeding means for the material, a loop-taker below the plane of the material, and means whereby to position the eye of a needle operated by said bar lengthwise of the line of feed of the material when said eye is in the material and to position said eye crosswise of said line of feed when said eye is adjacent to said loop-taker.

2. In a sewing machine, the combination of a reciprocating needle-bar above the plane of the material, feeding means for the material, a loop-taker having a loop-taking part below the plane of the material, means whereby to position the eye of a needle operated by said bar lengthwise of the line of feed of the material when said eye is passing through the material and to position said eye crosswise of said line of feed when said eye is adjacent to said looptal:er, and means for adjusting the position of said eye with relation to said loop-taking part of said loop-taker.

3. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle-bar above the plane of the mateial, feeding means for the material, a looptaker having a loop-taking part below the plane of the material, and a tube above the plane of the material in which said needlebar reciprocates lengthwise, said tube provided with a helical slot, and said needlebar provided with guiding means for said slot, said helical slot and said guiding means arranged in coactive relation during the sewing movements of said needle-bar, whereby a needle operating-with said needle-bar, is arranged to have itseye extending lengthwise of the line of the seam while passing through the material from above toward said loop-taker and crosswise of said line when below the plane of the material in adj acency to said loop-taking part for presenting the thread-loop transversely of the line of the seam to said loop-taking part.

4. In a sewing machine, the combination of a material-supporting surface, feeding means for the material, a loop-taker below said material-supporting surface, a needle having a thread-eye adjacent its piercing end, and means located above said materialsupporting surface for reciprocating and rotating said needle to position said threadeye lengthwise of the line of feed of said feeding means while said thread-eye is ap proaching said material-supporting surface from above for piercing the material, and to position said thread-eye crosswise of said line of feed below the material after it has pierced the material for coaction with said loop-taker. Y

5. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle-bar above the plane of the material, a needle arranged to be !received thereby, said needle having a thread-eye at its piercing end normally parallel with the line of the seam being formed, a long grove at the side thereof normally opening in the direction of the line of the seam for the supply-limb of the thread, a guiding means for said supply-limb, friction means for said supply-limb, said guiding means and said friction means located in that plane parallel with the needle in which said long groove and the longitudinal axis of the needle are located, said guiding means and said friction means located adjacent the upper end of said long groove, and means for combinedly moving said needle-bar, said guid ing means and said friction means lengthwise of said needle-bar and about the longi tudinal axis of said needle-bar. r

6. In a sewing machine, the combination of a needle-bar above the plane of the material, a needle arranged to be received there by, said needle having a thread-eye at its piercing end normally parallel with the line of the seam being formed, a long groove at one side thereof for the supply-limb of the thread and a short groove at the other side thereof for the seam limb of the thread, said grooves coacting with said thread-eye, said grooves normally opening in the direction of the'line of the seam, friction means for said supply-limb adjacent the end of said long groove distanced from said thread-eye, said friction means located in that plane parallel with the needle in which'said long groove and the longitudinal axis of the needle are located, and means for combinedly moving said needle-bar and said friction means lengthwise of said needle-bar 5 and about the longitudinal axis of said needle-bar.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto inf/4,269

signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

WILLIAM F. LAUTENSCHLAGER.

Witnesses:

JAMES J. FITZPATRIOK, TERESA M. SILBER. 

